Google Messages has had quite the overhaul over the past couple of months, and now the company is doubling down on its safety measures with two new protection upgrades.

The features include the new Key Verifier tool and scam link alerts, and both are live now. Scam alerts will appear for all Google Messages users; however, Key Verifier is only available to those on Android 10 and above, with plans to roll out more protections built on the new function.

In its official announcement, Google addressed the growing risks of fraud and online scams, sparking the company’s tighter security measures, sharing the following:

"Nearly 60% of people globally have experienced a scam in the last year. Yet while increased connectivity has certainly fueled this rise in scams, the bigger shift is this: widespread access to cutting-edge technology is making scams more convincing and nefarious than ever before." So how do its new protections prevent this?

The most notable of the two is the new Key Verifier, which was initially revealed in May with more details following last August.

It's designed to ‘add an extra layer of trust’ to your private one-on-one RCS chats, and involves scanning a QR code for your contacts, ensuring that the messages you’re receiving are actually coming from the person you believe to be on the other end.

To access Key Verifier, open a one-on-one chat and tap the contact’s name at the top. Scroll down and select ‘Verify keys’, and then ‘Scan contact’s QR code’. You should also note that the person on the other end will also need to do the same on their own device.

The second new security measure is scam link detection, which targets links that could be sent to you to steal personal information. If you’re sent a link that Google Messages thinks could be harmful, it will present a warning pop-up to highlight suspicious messages.

"We’re continuously innovating and rolling out new security features that are built into our products," Google iterated in its announcement, adding that "these features and initiatives are designed to help you avoid scams altogether, or spot them before they cause harm." With that in mind, it’s likely Google will expand its protection tools in the future.

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